Just under an hour southwest of Athens, Korinthos (Corinth) sits at the narrow neck of land that ties the Peloponnese to the Greek mainland. It’s an easy day trip that packs in an engineering marvel, a major archaeological site, and a mountaintop fortress with one of the best views in the country.
The Corinth Canal#
The first stop for most visitors is the one that needs no introduction once you see it. The Corinth Canal slices straight through the isthmus, a 6.4 km cut with sheer limestone walls dropping some 80 metres to a thin ribbon of water below.
Sailors dreamed of this shortcut for over two thousand years — the emperor Nero even broke ground with a golden pickaxe in 67 AD — but it wasn’t finished until 1893. Stand on the road bridge and watch a boat thread the gap; it’s dramatically narrow, and modern ships have long outgrown it, so today it’s mostly tourist cruises and the occasional bungee jumper.
Ancient Corinth and the Temple of Apollo#
A few kilometres inland lies the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth, once one of the richest and most powerful city-states in Greece. The standout is the Temple of Apollo, its squat Doric columns still standing since the 6th century BC — among the oldest stone temples in Greece.
Wander the site and you’ll find the agora, the Peirene fountain, and the bema where the apostle Paul is said to have addressed the Corinthians. The on-site museum is small but worth the extra half hour.
Acrocorinth#
Looming above the ruins is Acrocorinth, a monolithic rock crowned by a fortress that guarded the region from antiquity through the Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian, and Ottoman eras. You can drive most of the way up, then pass through three successive gates as you climb.
It’s a steep, sun-exposed walk with almost no shade, so bring water and a hat. The reward is a sweeping panorama over the isthmus, both gulfs, and the ruins far below — and, near the summit, the foundations of the Temple of Aphrodite.
Practical notes#
- Getting there: ~1 hour by car from Athens on the A8/E94, or a suburban Proastiakos train to Corinth station.
- Time needed: Canal + Ancient Corinth + Acrocorinth make a comfortable full day.
- Best season: Spring and autumn. Summer midday heat at Acrocorinth is brutal — go early or late.
- Combine with: Nemea’s wineries or the coastal drive toward Nafplio if you have a second day.
Photo credits#
All photos from Wikimedia Commons:
- Cover — Corinth Canal: Corinth Canal in Greece — CC BY-SA 4.0
- Temple of Apollo: Korinth (Ancient Corinth) by Berthold Werner — CC BY-SA 3.0
- Acrocorinth: Acrocorinth First Gate — CC BY-SA 4.0